February is Black History Month, but don’t limit your teaching on this to one month of the year.  Black history IS American history, and the stories of African American and indigenous people should be taught all year to all students.

We’ve rounded up some great resources and tips for you to use this February and beyond!

1. You might want to start by facilitating conversations about race in your classroom.  This piece from The New York Times offers up some ideas and pairs well with this article for students, “Why is race so hard to talk about?”.
2. This Pinterest board from KQED is full of lessons, videos, books, and resources for teaching and celebrating black history and cultures.
3. AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth.gov offers an abundance of primary sources, student activities, and videos.
4. This PDF from the Anti-Defamation League offers some guiding topics and resources for teaching about African American history through literature, art, music, film, leaders, and current events.  
5. If you’re a white teacher and/or instructing white students, this article from Teaching Tolerance offers tips and perspective to avoid whitewashing the Civil Rights Movement–plus links to research and resources throughout!
6. The Center for Racial Justice in Education put together a huge list of resources including topics of gender, LGBTQ issues, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
7. The heart of teaching about black history lies in anti-bias education.  Learn more about anti-bias practices in elementary classrooms from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
8. The National Education Association has a wide variety of black history lessons and resources for elementary, middle, and high school students.
9. It’s not just history.  Black and indigenous people of color are an important part of the fabric of our nation, in the past, present, and future.  However, black Americans still face discrimination today.  Stay informed on issues facing the black community and don’t be afraid to discuss current issues with your students.  
10. And when February is over, then what?  This article from Teaching Tolerance poses questions all teachers should consider as they plan their instruction throughout the year.

Do you have a favorite book, website, or resource for teaching about black history and civil rights? Share it in the comments!